Sometimes we find ourselves in environments (or relationships) that aren't aligned with what we want. Those instances can range from mildly upsetting to incredibly toxic.When that happens, it's easy to let our subconscious patterns of thought kick in and make that situation or environment mean something about us. Usually something not very good. This episode shares five steps to staying clear and strong when you're in a place that isn't serving you. When you follow these steps you'll be able to stay clear about what's happening and what you want to do about it from a place of personal empowerment. This is an important one. Because the more risks we take and the more we put ourselves out there, the more likely we're going to encounter situations or people that don't serve us.So it's important to know what to do when you find yourself in a job or relationship that isn’t good for you. How to get yourself through that time in a purposeful way and one that will propel you forward even faster.I think you'll find this episode helpful. Thanks for giving it a listen.      

Sometimes we find ourselves in environments (or relationships) that aren't aligned with what we want. Those instances can range from mildly upsetting to incredibly toxic. When that happens, it's easy to let our subconscious patterns of thought kick in and make that situation or environment mean something about us. Usually something not very good.  This episode shares five steps to staying clear and strong when you're in a place that isn't serving you.  When you follow these steps you'll be able to stay clear about what's happening and what you want to do about it from a place of personal empowerment.  This is an important one. Because the more risks we take and the more we put ourselves out there, the more likely we're going to encounter situations or people that don't serve us. So it's important to know what to do when you find yourself in a job or relationship that isn’t good for you. How to get yourself through that time in a purposeful way and one that will propel you forward even faster. I think you'll find this episode helpful. Thanks for giving it a listen.

How to Survive (and Thrive) Despite a Toxic Environment 

So today, I want to talk about the choices we make when it comes to our career. Specifically, how to get (or maybe STAY) clear on what we want. There are a few reasons I wanted to discuss this today.First, in my experience as a coach and as a leader of people in my career, most of us spend a good amount of our career “not knowing” what we really want. Sometimes it’s because we’re not in touch with what we’re good at. Sometimes it’s because we’ve never taken the time to really get clear on the type of work that makes us happy or fulfilled. And even if you think you know what that is when you start out, as we move through our career, for most of us, our interests, wants and needs will change at different life stages. So, it’s good to do a reflection like this from time to time to make sure that what you’re currently doing for a living is consistent with what you WANT at this point in your life.Second, it’s graduation season and for those with newly minted bachelor’s or graduate degrees, it’s important to get clear on what lights you up BEFORE you dive into a job search. Or if you’ve already accepted a job, this type of reflection can help ensure you get the most from it or get clear on what you DO want before you think about spinning up the search for a new job.Third and last, despite the overheated economy, it’s impossible to deny that this is also a time when people are being laid off. In the U.S., the rapidly rising interest rates have led many VC-backed start-ups to rethink their staffing plans and that has spurred many layoffs in the tech sector. And while the job market is still hot and those folks will likely land new opportunities quickly, this is a good time to do some reflection to get clear on what you really want from your career going forward BEFORE you accept another position.This kind of Career Discovery Reflection can serve you at any stage of your life. It’s a great exercise to go through annually. Because even if you like your current company or job, this type of reflection can help you stay in touch with how you’d like your current position or responsibilities to evolve or grow or maybe even how some investment in outside courses or study can add to your skills in a meaningful way to prepare you for next level growth.I’m going to approach this as an exercise, so be sure to have a pen and paper handy. Or you might want to open a Google doc so you can take note of the questions as we go through. I think this is going to be super helpful, so let’s dive in.Before we get into the questions, I want to talk first about the choices we make when it comes to our career. Because I’ve found that too many of us take a passive approach, meaning we sort of let life and opportunity (or the jobs we’re offered) dictate where our career goes. Versus, intentionally choosing. But the truth is, according to statistics, you’re going to spend about 92,000 hours working (based on a 40-hour work week, with 4-5 weeks of vacation or holidays a year and a career that spans almost 50 years – from 18-67). For context, that equals 21% of your total waking hours over a 76-year lifespan. Or 35% of your total waking hours over a nearly 50-year working life.Ever thought of it that way? When you see those statistics, it’s clear that career choice is among the most important decisions that people make. So, you want to make choices that are right for YOU. That are about what YOU want. Not what your partner wants, or your parents want. But you.The key is self-reflection. This will connect you to the thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and motivations when it comes to your career. So that you can set goals, take actions, and make decisions from a place that’s aligned with what you truly want. For more, give the episode a listen.

So today, I want to talk about the choices we make when it comes to our career. Specifically, how to get (or maybe STAY) clear on what we want. There are a few reasons I wanted to discuss this today.First, in my experience as a coach and as a leader of people in my career, most of us spend a good amount of our career “not knowing” what we really want. Sometimes it’s because we’re not in touch with what we’re good at. Sometimes it’s because we’ve never taken the time to really get clear on the type of work that makes us happy or fulfilled. And even if you think you know what that is when you start out, as we move through our career, for most of us, our interests, wants and needs will change at different life stages. So, it’s good to do a reflection like this from time to time to make sure that what you’re currently doing for a living is consistent with what you WANT at this point in your life.Second, it’s graduation season and for those with newly minted bachelor’s or graduate degrees, it’s important to get clear on what lights you up BEFORE you dive into a job search. Or if you’ve already accepted a job, this type of reflection can help ensure you get the most from it or get clear on what you DO want before you think about spinning up the search for a new job.Third and last, despite the overheated economy, it’s impossible to deny that this is also a time when people are being laid off. In the U.S., the rapidly rising interest rates have led many VC-backed start-ups to rethink their staffing plans and that has spurred many layoffs in the tech sector. And while the job market is still hot and those folks will likely land new opportunities quickly, this is a good time to do some reflection to get clear on what you really want from your career going forward BEFORE you accept another position.This kind of Career Discovery Reflection can serve you at any stage of your life. It’s a great exercise to go through annually. Because even if you like your current company or job, this type of reflection can help you stay in touch with how you’d like your current position or responsibilities to evolve or grow or maybe even how some investment in outside courses or study can add to your skills in a meaningful way to prepare you for next level growth.I’m going to approach this as an exercise, so be sure to have a pen and paper handy. Or you might want to open a Google doc so you can take note of the questions as we go through. I think this is going to be super helpful, so let’s dive in.Before we get into the questions, I want to talk first about the choices we make when it comes to our career. Because I’ve found that too many of us take a passive approach, meaning we sort of let life and opportunity (or the jobs we’re offered) dictate where our career goes. Versus, intentionally choosing. But the truth is, according to statistics, you’re going to spend about 92,000 hours working (based on a 40-hour work week, with 4-5 weeks of vacation or holidays a year and a career that spans almost 50 years – from 18-67). For context, that equals 21% of your total waking hours over a 76-year lifespan. Or 35% of your total waking hours over a nearly 50-year working life.Ever thought of it that way? When you see those statistics, it’s clear that career choice is among the most important decisions that people make. So, you want to make choices that are right for YOU. That are about what YOU want. Not what your partner wants, or your parents want. But you.The key is self-reflection. This will connect you to the thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and motivations when it comes to your career. So that you can set goals, take actions, and make decisions from a place that’s aligned with what you truly want. For more, give the episode a listen.

Getting Clear on What You Want From Your Career

As happens many times with this podcast, today I want to talk about something that’s coming up for a lot of my clients right now. And that is, what to do when something does not work out as planned.I think this is topic is relevant for most working people because for the past few years, we’ve been in an exceptionally strong job market. And you know what THAT has meant. They called it the Great Resignation because so many people – more than 47 million in the U.S. alone – have changed jobs. For whatever reason – money, location, flexibility, title, career change, more responsibility – there are so many reasons we do this. But guess what?  According to two surveys conducted earlier this year, up to 20% of people who changed their job during the Great Resignation, now REGRET it. That’s 1 in 5 people. So, in the U.S., where an estimated 47 MM people changed jobs, that’s just shy of 10 MM people who now regret that decision.And this idea of disappointing outcomes isn’t confined to our careers. In 2022, it’s estimated that a little over 44% of marriages will end in divorce. So, for every 6 people who get married this year? 2.6 will get divorced.Same thing with relocation. Because that was another big shift during the pandemic. Millions of people picked up and moved. And according to statistics, about 30% of them regret at least a few things about their move – whether it’s about moving away from friends or family, dislike of the new location or whatever.Basically, the important thing to know about making big, life changing decisions is that when we do, there’s a decent chance that it won’t go as planned. And there are so many reasons for this. So many things we could talk about related to big decisions. About whether we put the proper thought into it. Or paid attention to all the variables. Or did our research. Or listened to our gut. Or whatever. But today, I don’t want to focus on how to make strong decisions or aligned decisions upfront. Today I want to talk to those of you who are currenting DEALING with the aftermath or unfortunately outcome of a big decision.  Because dealing with regret or disappointment or unfortunate outcomes is part of the human experience. it’s going to happen. For all of us. In one or maybe many areas of our life. And for that reason, it’s important to be clear about what to do when maybe you did all the upfront analytics, when you weighed the pros and the cons, and things STILL didn’t turn out the way you hoped. Whether you’re feeling a little disillusioned or swimming in massive regret, it’s important to know that there are things you can do to turn it around.I think this is going to be an important episode and a relevant and timely one for so many of you, so, let’s dive in.When we make a big decision, we’re essentially taking a chance. We’re leaping into the unknown and counting on the outcome to be what we expected it to be. But as the stats that I shared earlier show – whether we’re talking career, marriage, relocation or probably any other big decision you will make – a good percentage of the time, things aren’t going to work out the way you hoped.When this happens, it’s so easy to get stuck in either denial or blame or victimhood or regret. And when you do that, you know what happens? You make the disappointing outcome even worse by keeping yourself stuck there longer. For more, give the episode a listen.

As happens many times with this podcast, today I want to talk about something that’s coming up for a lot of my clients right now. And that is, what to do when something does not work out as planned.I think this is topic is relevant for most working people because for the past few years, we’ve been in an exceptionally strong job market. And you know what THAT has meant. They called it the Great Resignation because so many people – more than 47 million in the U.S. alone – have changed jobs. For whatever reason – money, location, flexibility, title, career change, more responsibility – there are so many reasons we do this. But guess what?  According to two surveys conducted earlier this year, up to 20% of people who changed their job during the Great Resignation, now REGRET it. That’s 1 in 5 people. So, in the U.S., where an estimated 47 MM people changed jobs, that’s just shy of 10 MM people who now regret that decision.And this idea of disappointing outcomes isn’t confined to our careers. In 2022, it’s estimated that a little over 44% of marriages will end in divorce. So, for every 6 people who get married this year? 2.6 will get divorced.Same thing with relocation. Because that was another big shift during the pandemic. Millions of people picked up and moved. And according to statistics, about 30% of them regret at least a few things about their move – whether it’s about moving away from friends or family, dislike of the new location or whatever.Basically, the important thing to know about making big, life changing decisions is that when we do, there’s a decent chance that it won’t go as planned. And there are so many reasons for this. So many things we could talk about related to big decisions. About whether we put the proper thought into it. Or paid attention to all the variables. Or did our research. Or listened to our gut. Or whatever. But today, I don’t want to focus on how to make strong decisions or aligned decisions upfront. Today I want to talk to those of you who are currenting DEALING with the aftermath or unfortunately outcome of a big decision.  Because dealing with regret or disappointment or unfortunate outcomes is part of the human experience. it’s going to happen. For all of us. In one or maybe many areas of our life. And for that reason, it’s important to be clear about what to do when maybe you did all the upfront analytics, when you weighed the pros and the cons, and things STILL didn’t turn out the way you hoped. Whether you’re feeling a little disillusioned or swimming in massive regret, it’s important to know that there are things you can do to turn it around.I think this is going to be an important episode and a relevant and timely one for so many of you, so, let’s dive in.When we make a big decision, we’re essentially taking a chance. We’re leaping into the unknown and counting on the outcome to be what we expected it to be. But as the stats that I shared earlier show – whether we’re talking career, marriage, relocation or probably any other big decision you will make – a good percentage of the time, things aren’t going to work out the way you hoped.When this happens, it’s so easy to get stuck in either denial or blame or victimhood or regret. And when you do that, you know what happens? You make the disappointing outcome even worse by keeping yourself stuck there longer.  For more, give the episode a listen.

How to Deal When Things Don't Work Out as Planned

We’re almost at midyear. So, this is a time when people tend to look back at the year so far and evaluate – whether formal or informally – what they’ve managed to get done this year. And that’s especially true for people who are looking for change in some part of their career or life. Whether that’s about changing jobs, making more money, starting a business, losing weight, finding a relationship or anything else that’s calling to you. Mid-year is a natural time to evaluate how we’re doing against those goals. A few episodes ago, in Episode 78, we talked about “How to Transform Your Career and Life.” And the focus in that episode was about how you can make big transformational shifts by looking to your FUTURE vs. what we typically do, which is trying to build from where we’re currently at. So that’s all about channeling the thoughts, feelings and actions that are consistent with that FUTURE version of you. And learning how to BE that future version of you that already HAS that big new thing so that it eventually comes about.So, if you’re dreaming of something big and new and you haven’t listened to that episode yet, you might want to go back and give that a listen because I think you’ll find it a very helpful perspective and one we don’t usually think about when it comes to achievement.Today, we’re going to talk about that same thing – how to make changes in your career and life – but from a different perspective. I want to talk about what to do if you’re someone who might dream of making big changes in some part of your life but maybe finds it tough to get started. Or maybe you get started but you find it hard to stay with it.Now if you’re a regular listener to this podcast you know that our actions – whether we start or don’t start, or whether we quit or stay with it – it’s all driven by what you’re thinking. And if you’re thinking things like “it’s too hard” or “it’s impossible” or that “it’ll take too long” or “you’re not disciplined enough to stay with it,” then that’s going to cause emotions like defeat or procrastination or whatever. And you’re going to either not start or quit. It's so easy to let our brain talk us out of the big things we want to go do. And in my experience, it’s far too easy to believe whatever lie our brain is telling us. Because when we want something that’s far from where we are right now, the new thing we’re dreaming of seems like it’s just out of our reach. And when we look at it through that lens, from where we are vs. where we want to end up, it’s easy to believe that the journey is just going to be too hard. That it’s too big a shift. That we won’t stick with it long enough to make it happen.For more, give the episode a listen.

We’re almost at midyear. So, this is a time when people tend to look back at the year so far and evaluate – whether formal or informally – what they’ve managed to get done this year. And that’s especially true for people who are looking for change in some part of their career or life. Whether that’s about changing jobs, making more money, starting a business, losing weight, finding a relationship or anything else that’s calling to you. Mid-year is a natural time to evaluate how we’re doing against those goals. A few episodes ago, in Episode 78, we talked about “How to Transform Your Career and Life.” And the focus in that episode was about how you can make big transformational shifts by looking to your FUTURE vs. what we typically do, which is trying to build from where we’re currently at. So that’s all about channeling the thoughts, feelings and actions that are consistent with that FUTURE version of you. And learning how to BE that future version of you that already HAS that big new thing so that it eventually comes about.So, if you’re dreaming of something big and new and you haven’t listened to that episode yet, you might want to go back and give that a listen because I think you’ll find it a very helpful perspective and one we don’t usually think about when it comes to achievement.Today, we’re going to talk about that same thing – how to make changes in your career and life – but from a different perspective. I want to talk about what to do if you’re someone who might dream of making big changes in some part of your life but maybe finds it tough to get started. Or maybe you get started but you find it hard to stay with it.Now if you’re a regular listener to this podcast you know that our actions – whether we start or don’t start, or whether we quit or stay with it – it’s all driven by what you’re thinking. And if you’re thinking things like “it’s too hard” or “it’s impossible” or that “it’ll take too long” or “you’re not disciplined enough to stay with it,” then that’s going to cause emotions like defeat or procrastination or whatever. And you’re going to either not start or quit. It's so easy to let our brain talk us out of the big things we want to go do. And in my experience, it’s far too easy to believe whatever lie our brain is telling us. Because when we want something that’s far from where we are right now, the new thing we’re dreaming of seems like it’s just out of our reach. And when we look at it through that lens, from where we are vs. where we want to end up, it’s easy to believe that the journey is just going to be too hard. That it’s too big a shift. That we won’t stick with it long enough to make it happen.For more, give the episode a listen.

The Power of Small Steps

So today we’re going to talk about something important and that is, how we handle it when things don’t work out as planned. Because that’s a big part of life, right? It’s always fun to talk about goals and possibilities. But the truth is, as important as it is to know how to go after and get the things you want in life, it’s equally important to get good at dealing with it when things don’t work out.Because as we all know, no matter how much we plan and no matter how hard we work at things, sometimes life doesn’t go our way.Whether that’s in business or some aspect of our personal life.Life isn’t guaranteed.The truth is disappointment, setbacks, and failure are part of the experience. And the more you push for personal growth and achievement, the more you put yourself out there, the more likely it is that you’ll experience the kinds of setbacks that can really take a toll if you don’t learn how to roll with them. To learn to process through the loss or the disappointment or the failure, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep moving forward.That’s not always an easy thing to do. In fact, it can be super hard at times.Hard to let go of the thing we were so invested in.  And so easy to fall into the negative cycle of overthinking and regret and self-blame. And when we do that, you know what happens? We get stuck.It erodes our self-confidence.It keeps us from getting out there and doing all the things we want to do.So today, we’re going to talk about “Having Your Own Back.”And if you’re someone who has an overactive inner critic, I think you’ll find this episode especially helpful. So, let’s dive in. And let’s start with the definition of what it means to ‘have someone’s back.’I checked both the Cambridge and the Urban Dictionary (since it’s kind of a newer phrase) and for both, having someone’s back means to be ready to protect or defend someone. To watch out for, take care of, and protect that person.So, when we talk about having your OWN back, it means doing that same thing but for yourself.And that’s the first point I wanted to make. While it’s very nice to have loved ones who want to have our back, the truth is, as nice as it is to have supportive friends and family, this is something we don’t need anyone else for. We can learn how to have our own back.And I think it’s even more powerful and helpful when it comes from ourselves.I think having your own back is the key to finding the grit and resilience to keep going when you have a setback instead of quitting.I think it’s the key to staying passionate and excited about your career and life instead of just giving up and going with the flow.It’s the key to really BELIEVING in yourself instead of falling into the habit of tearing yourself apart when things don’t go as planned.And this is not something most of us are taught.But it’s incredibly important.For more, give the episode a listen.

So today we’re going to talk about something important and that is, how we handle it when things don’t work out as planned. Because that’s a big part of life, right? It’s always fun to talk about goals and possibilities. But the truth is, as important as it is to know how to go after and get the things you want in life, it’s equally important to get good at dealing with it when things don’t work out.Because as we all know, no matter how much we plan and no matter how hard we work at things, sometimes life doesn’t go our way.Whether that’s in business or some aspect of our personal life.Life isn’t guaranteed.The truth is disappointment, setbacks, and failure are part of the experience. And the more you push for personal growth and achievement, the more you put yourself out there, the more likely it is that you’ll experience the kinds of setbacks that can really take a toll if you don’t learn how to roll with them. To learn to process through the loss or the disappointment or the failure, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep moving forward.That’s not always an easy thing to do. In fact, it can be super hard at times.Hard to let go of the thing we were so invested in.  And so easy to fall into the negative cycle of overthinking and regret and self-blame. And when we do that, you know what happens? We get stuck.It erodes our self-confidence.It keeps us from getting out there and doing all the things we want to do.So today, we’re going to talk about “Having Your Own Back.”And if you’re someone who has an overactive inner critic, I think you’ll find this episode especially helpful. So, let’s dive in. And let’s start with the definition of what it means to ‘have someone’s back.’I checked both the Cambridge and the Urban Dictionary (since it’s kind of a newer phrase) and for both, having someone’s back means to be ready to protect or defend someone. To watch out for, take care of, and protect that person.So, when we talk about having your OWN back, it means doing that same thing but for yourself.And that’s the first point I wanted to make. While it’s very nice to have loved ones who want to have our back, the truth is, as nice as it is to have supportive friends and family, this is something we don’t need anyone else for. We can learn how to have our own back.And I think it’s even more powerful and helpful when it comes from ourselves.I think having your own back is the key to finding the grit and resilience to keep going when you have a setback instead of quitting.I think it’s the key to staying passionate and excited about your career and life instead of just giving up and going with the flow.It’s the key to really BELIEVING in yourself instead of falling into the habit of tearing yourself apart when things don’t go as planned.And this is not something most of us are taught.But it’s incredibly important. For more, give the episode a listen.

Having Your Own Back 

We're almost at mid year and it's the perfect time reflect. To look back on the year so far and evaluate whether you’ve made progress on the things we wanted to get done this year. And even better, it’s a chance to look at the year ahead and make any adjustments needed so you can either stay the course if things are going well or maybe get things back on track if you don’t feel you’ve made the progress you wanted to make up to now.When most of us think about goal setting and personal development, we focus on the WHAT and the HOW. So, what we want to accomplish and how we plan to do it.That approach can work of course. But WHAT and HOW will only get you so far. So that’s a good approach to use when you’re going for career or life tweaks. Small shifts.  Today, I wanted to talk about those times in life when you want BIG TRANSFORMATION. When you want to significantly change one - or maybe several – areas of your life.When that’s what you’re going for, focusing on the HOW is not going to work. You’ll need to focus on the WHO. Specifically, WHO you’ve been in your work and life so far this year. And WHO you NEED to be going forward so you create the results you’re looking for in your career and life. Transformative results. Unexpected results. WOW results.This is a very different – and I think a far more impactful – way of thinking about goal setting and achievement. It’s a helpful perspective to consider using during times in your life where small and incremental change just isn’t going to cut it. And I think it’s going to be super interesting.So, let’s dive in.Like I said earlier, this is not how we’re taught to approach goal setting or any other aspect of our life for that matter. Typically, when we think about where we want to go it’s ALWAYS from the perspective of where we are today. That seems logical, right?It seems logical because it’s linear. And there’s no denying that each of us are where we are in our life. We have a very specific role in the current world. A level of income.  A job title.A set of skills to offer.A set of people, possessions and things that make up our life.Where we live, who we associate with, our daily routines and habits, our interests, activities. All of it.  So, when we think about what we WANT to achieve or do NEXT, most of us think about our possibilities from that perspective. We think about building our future from where we are today.And you can certainly do that. There are times in life where that makes perfect sense. And like I said, it’s what most of us do.BUT what I want to offer today is a very different perspective. I want to come at personal development from the OPPOSITE point of view.I want to think about personal development and goal achievement in a way that’s completely divorced from your current identity. Meaning, who you think you are in the world and how you think about your possibilities.For more, give the episode a listen.

We're almost at mid year and it's the perfect time reflect.  To look back on the year so far and evaluate whether you’ve made progress on the things we wanted to get done this year. And even better, it’s a chance to look at the year ahead and make any adjustments needed so you can either stay the course if things are going well or maybe get things back on track if you don’t feel you’ve made the progress you wanted to make up to now.When most of us think about goal setting and personal development, we focus on the WHAT and the HOW. So, what we want to accomplish and how we plan to do it.That approach can work of course. But WHAT and HOW will only get you so far. So that’s a good approach to use when you’re going for career or life tweaks. Small shifts.  Today, I wanted to talk about those times in life when you want BIG TRANSFORMATION. When you want to significantly change one - or maybe several – areas of your life.When that’s what you’re going for, focusing on the HOW is not going to work. You’ll need to focus on the WHO. Specifically, WHO you’ve been in your work and life so far this year. And WHO you NEED to be going forward so you create the results you’re looking for in your career and life. Transformative results. Unexpected results. WOW results.This is a very different – and I think a far more impactful – way of thinking about goal setting and achievement. It’s a helpful perspective to consider using during times in your life where small and incremental change just isn’t going to cut it. And I think it’s going to be super interesting.So, let’s dive in.Like I said earlier, this is not how we’re taught to approach goal setting or any other aspect of our life for that matter. Typically, when we think about where we want to go it’s ALWAYS from the perspective of where we are today. That seems logical, right?It seems logical because it’s linear. And there’s no denying that each of us are where we are in our life. We have a very specific role in the current world. A level of income.  A job title.A set of skills to offer.A set of people, possessions and things that make up our life.Where we live, who we associate with, our daily routines and habits, our interests, activities. All of it.  So, when we think about what we WANT to achieve or do NEXT, most of us think about our possibilities from that perspective. We think about building our future from where we are today.And you can certainly do that. There are times in life where that makes perfect sense. And like I said, it’s what most of us do.BUT what I want to offer today is a very different perspective. I want to come at personal development from the OPPOSITE point of view.I want to think about personal development and goal achievement in a way that’s completely divorced from your current identity. Meaning, who you think you are in the world and how you think about your possibilities.For more, give the episode a listen.

How to Transform your Career and Life

So, today is the last episode on our series, “Lies We Tell Ourselves.” This series is foundational to everything we teach in my business. Because we’re never really taught in our career that our ability to achieve our goals doesn’t come from good breaks or great bosses or networking or even being great at what you do. Sure, those things are important. But you can HAVE those things and STILL find yourself stuck and miserable.Why?Because you can work as hard as you’d like but if you don’t learn how to manage your mind you can easily find yourself living in uncertainty, fear, self-doubt no matter how success you LOOK on the outside. If you don’t purposefully direct your brain, what’s going on INSIDE can make you miserable. And when you’re not connected to the real source of the issue, it’s easy to spend your time chasing opportunity. Looking for the perfect boss. Or the “right” title or salary. Or a better culture. Or whatever.And I’m not saying those things aren’t important. But what I AM saying is that you can have all the great things. You can have everything you always said you ever wanted. And still be miserable. And you might not even know why if you don’t connect into what’s going on inside.In your brain.  And that concept is especially relevant today because we’re going to talk about the last “lie” in this series which is “I’m a fraud.”This is a hallmark of Imposter Syndrome, a pattern of thought that causes you to doubt your abilities, hence the thought “I’m a fraud.” And it disproportionately affects high achievers, especially those who find it difficult to accept their accomplishments. In fact, researchers say up to 80 percent of people report having Imposter-like thoughts at some point in their career. I’m very well acquainted with this one so I’ve got a lot of perspective to share here that I think will be super helpful for so many of you. So, let’s dive in.Now you might hear a statistic like 80% and wonder, how can that be true? Well, apparently it is, because according to the National Institute of Health, in 2019, there was a review of 62 studies on Imposter Syndrome and according to THAT, up to 82% of people report having thoughts along these lines at some point.And it’s also important to note that most of them are women, though it does affect men too. And as I said earlier, it disproportionately affects high achievers. It can impact anyone in any profession at any stage of their life – from college up to the most senior level corporate executives or entrepreneurs.And the problem with this Imposter thought pattern is that you end up working harder than you need to because you’re holding yourself to impossibly high standards. And it will eventually take a toll on your emotional wellbeing (and maybe physical too). And even though you’re literally KILLING yourself to deliver top caliber – maybe unachievable – standard of work, the thought pattern actually can impact your work performance. So, what does Imposter Syndrome look like? Well, it’s characterized by a pattern of thought that’s grounded in something called “perceived fraudulence.” I sort of think about it as a set of “beliefs” or rules that a high achiever develops that maybe early on in their career drives them forward. But eventually, because it’s a level of performance that is unattainable and so therefore, is unsustainable, if it’s not addressed, it can have the opposite effect. And honestly? It just makes you miserable.Here are what I call, some of the Imposter Rules. The informal and impossible set of rules high achievers with Imposter-like thoughts may live by. For more give the episode a listen.

So, today is the last episode on our series, “Lies We Tell Ourselves.” This series is foundational to everything we teach in my business. Because we’re never really taught in our career that our ability to achieve our goals doesn’t come from good breaks or great bosses or networking or even being great at what you do. Sure, those things are important. But you can HAVE those things and STILL find yourself stuck and miserable.Why?Because you can work as hard as you’d like but if you don’t learn how to manage your mind you can easily find yourself living in uncertainty, fear, self-doubt no matter how success you LOOK on the outside. If you don’t purposefully direct your brain, what’s going on INSIDE can make you miserable. And when you’re not connected to the real source of the issue, it’s easy to spend your time chasing opportunity. Looking for the perfect boss. Or the “right” title or salary. Or a better culture. Or whatever.And I’m not saying those things aren’t important. But what I AM saying is that you can have all the great things. You can have everything you always said you ever wanted. And still be miserable. And you might not even know why if you don’t connect into what’s going on inside.In your brain.  And that concept is especially relevant today because we’re going to talk about the last “lie” in this series which is “I’m a fraud.”This is a hallmark of Imposter Syndrome, a pattern of thought that causes you to doubt your abilities, hence the thought “I’m a fraud.” And it disproportionately affects high achievers, especially those who find it difficult to accept their accomplishments. In fact, researchers say up to 80 percent of people report having Imposter-like thoughts at some point in their career. I’m very well acquainted with this one so I’ve got a lot of perspective to share here that I think will be super helpful for so many of you. So, let’s dive in.Now you might hear a statistic like 80% and wonder, how can that be true? Well, apparently it is, because according to the National Institute of Health, in 2019, there was a review of 62 studies on Imposter Syndrome and according to THAT, up to 82% of people report having thoughts along these lines at some point.And it’s also important to note that most of them are women, though it does affect men too. And as I said earlier, it disproportionately affects high achievers. It can impact anyone in any profession at any stage of their life – from college up to the most senior level corporate executives or entrepreneurs.And the problem with this Imposter thought pattern is that you end up working harder than you need to because you’re holding yourself to impossibly high standards. And it will eventually take a toll on your emotional wellbeing (and maybe physical too). And even though you’re literally KILLING yourself to deliver top caliber – maybe unachievable – standard of work, the thought pattern actually can impact your work performance. So, what does Imposter Syndrome look like? Well, it’s characterized by a pattern of thought that’s grounded in something called “perceived fraudulence.” I sort of think about it as a set of “beliefs” or rules that a high achiever develops that maybe early on in their career drives them forward. But eventually, because it’s a level of performance that is unattainable and so therefore, is unsustainable, if it’s not addressed, it can have the opposite effect. And honestly? It just makes you miserable.Here are what I call, some of the Imposter Rules. The informal and impossible set of rules high achievers with Imposter-like thoughts may live by. For more give the episode a listen.

I'm a Fraud (Lies We Tell Ourselves #5 of 5)

In the last three episodes, we’ve focused on the “Lies We Tell Ourselves.” Specifically, how negative, or false thoughts get stored away in our brain without us knowing it. Then we think those things over and over again until they become beliefs. And then, without us realizing it, we’ll find ourselves in a situation that triggers that old belief. And we’ll find ourselves thinking that same, familiar, and somewhat negative thought. And because that thought is so familiar, we’ll just accept it as “the truth.” When really, it’s just an old thought that got stored away and that no longer serves you. As we’ve also discussed, these negative thoughts can come from what people have said to us. Or what you made things people said to you or things you experienced MEAN about you and your possibilities. This inner interpretation happens, many times, without us even realizing it. And I’ve found that those negative self-beliefs will typically come up when we’re contemplating taking on something big and new. Something that’s maybe outside our comfort zone. So, at the heart of these “Lies we tell ourselves” is fear. Fear of judgment.Fear of failure.Maybe even fear of success.Right?So, the idea of trying the new thing causes those subconscious negative thought patterns to appear. And their job is to cause us to shrink back. To stay right where we are. That’s just our brain trying to keep us safe. But really, the danger is that it gets us stuck. That it keeps us playing small and keeps us from pursuing the things we really want in our life. The first three episodes of this series focused on some of the most common lies we tell ourselves, which are:“It’s too late”“I don’t know how”, and… “I’m not good enough.” So, if you haven’t done so yet, I encourage you to go back and give those episodes a listen. Because if we’re not aware of what we’re thinking OR that those thoughts aren’t actually TRUE but instead, are just old, programmed ways of thinking – ways that probably NEVER served you and most certainly aren’t serving you today - any of those lies could get you stuck. It’s very important to know that.But TODAY, we’re going to talk about another lie we tell ourselves. And I think it’s the most common one, which is “I’m too busy.” Because this is such a common thought, this episode is going to be super helpful to so many. So, let’s dive in.Now before we go any further, I want to first acknowledge that in today’s always-on world, most of us ARE, in fact, quite busy. We have jobs.We have families.We have homes and lives and loved ones to care for.We have our own self-care.We have interests and hobbies.And in today’s connected, high-tech world, it’s the rare person that would say their lives are leisurely or calm or that their time is their own. Most of us feel this ever-present intense pressure to be always on. To be connected. To be available.The lines between our work and home life are blurry to say the least.And if you have a challenging boss or a difficult work culture that only makes the problem worse. I get that always on pressure. I’ve lived it myself. So, I know how hard it can be to hear the idea that “I’m too busy” is just a thought that isn’t necessary true.For more, give the episode a listen.

In the last three episodes, we’ve focused on the “Lies We Tell Ourselves.” Specifically, how negative, or false thoughts get stored away in our brain without us knowing it. Then we think those things over and over again until they become beliefs. And then, without us realizing it, we’ll find ourselves in a situation that triggers that old belief. And we’ll find ourselves thinking that same, familiar, and somewhat negative thought. And because that thought is so familiar, we’ll just accept it as “the truth.” When really, it’s just an old thought that got stored away and that no longer serves you. As we’ve also discussed, these negative thoughts can come from what people have said to us. Or what you made things people said to you or things you experienced MEAN about you and your possibilities. This inner interpretation happens, many times, without us even realizing it. And I’ve found that those negative self-beliefs will typically come up when we’re contemplating taking on something big and new. Something that’s maybe outside our comfort zone. So, at the heart of these “Lies we tell ourselves” is fear. Fear of judgment.Fear of failure.Maybe even fear of success.Right?So, the idea of trying the new thing causes those subconscious negative thought patterns to appear. And their job is to cause us to shrink back. To stay right where we are. That’s just our brain trying to keep us safe. But really, the danger is that it gets us stuck. That it keeps us playing small and keeps us from pursuing the things we really want in our life. The first three episodes of this series focused on some of the most common lies we tell ourselves, which are:“It’s too late”“I don’t know how”, and… “I’m not good enough.” So, if you haven’t done so yet, I encourage you to go back and give those episodes a listen. Because if we’re not aware of what we’re thinking OR that those thoughts aren’t actually TRUE but instead, are just old, programmed ways of thinking – ways that probably NEVER served you and most certainly aren’t serving you today - any of those lies could get you stuck. It’s very important to know that.But TODAY, we’re going to talk about another lie we tell ourselves. And I think it’s the most common one, which is “I’m too busy.” Because this is such a common thought, this episode is going to be super helpful to so many. So, let’s dive in.Now before we go any further, I want to first acknowledge that in today’s always-on world, most of us ARE, in fact, quite busy. We have jobs.We have families.We have homes and lives and loved ones to care for.We have our own self-care.We have interests and hobbies.And in today’s connected, high-tech world, it’s the rare person that would say their lives are leisurely or calm or that their time is their own. Most of us feel this ever-present intense pressure to be always on. To be connected. To be available.The lines between our work and home life are blurry to say the least.And if you have a challenging boss or a difficult work culture that only makes the problem worse. I get that always on pressure. I’ve lived it myself. So, I know how hard it can be to hear the idea that “I’m too busy” is just a thought that isn’t necessary true. For more, give the episode a listen.

I'm Too Busy (Lies We Tell Ourselves #4 of 5) 

For the last few weeks, we’ve been focused on a series called “The Lies We Tell Ourselves.” This is a relevant topic when it comes to our career because it’s important to understand all the ways that unconscious thinking can hold us back if we’re not careful. Specifically, how the things we tell ourselves – things we may or may not always be thinking at a conscious level – get in the way of what we want to do with our career and life.The first two episodes in the series explored a few of the most common ‘lies’ we tell ourselves, which are “It’s too late” and “I don’t know how.” If you haven’t done so already, you might want to check out episodes 73 and 74 because they offer up an interesting perspective about how programmed patterns of thought can get us stuck and some helpful ways to break that cycle. So, you might want to go back and give that a listen.This week we’re going to talk about another common lie that we tell ourselves. It’s one that so many people struggle with at one time or another in some aspect of their life. And that is the lie, “I’m not good enough.”To clarify, what we’re going to talk about isn’t about trying something and just not feeling like you were very good at it. That happens. And when it’s something new, it’s usually true that we’re not very good at it. Most of the time, it takes practice and repetition before we master something new or feel like we’re good at it. And that’s not what I’m talking about here. This episode pertains to a persistent recurring pattern of thought around ‘not being good enough.’ So today, we’re going to explore the impact this thought can have if it’s something you think on a regular basis. And then I’ll offer up a few ways you can start to shift out of this negative thought pattern. This is going to be an interesting and I think very helpful episode for so many of us. So, let’s dive in.Now, as we’ve talked about before on this podcast, we’re not always aware of that inner dialogue we all have. Sometimes we’re tuned in to our thoughts. But many times, we’re not. So, if that’s you, you might be thinking, “Well, I don’t know if I think I’m not good enough.” The important thing to know is that our brain works fast. According to neuroscientists we have around 60,000 thoughts a day. Whatever the actual number, it’s a lot of thoughts. So of course, we’re not aware of each one. Many times, that internal monologue is just running below the surface, kind of like that ticker at the bottom of the 24-hour news channel. They’re just there, always running, always scrolling by. And sometimes we tune into them and sometimes we don’t. But even if we don’t consciously tune in, those thoughts are still having an impact on us. They affect our mood. They’re the source of our emotions. And since we know that everything we do or don’t do is caused by how we’re feeling, it’s important to start tuning into or gaining some level of awareness into the quality of your thoughts.For more, give the episode a listen.

For the last few weeks, we’ve been focused on a series called “The Lies We Tell Ourselves.” This is a relevant topic when it comes to our career because it’s important to understand all the ways that unconscious thinking can hold us back if we’re not careful. Specifically, how the things we tell ourselves – things we may or may not always be thinking at a conscious level – get in the way of what we want to do with our career and life.The first two episodes in the series explored a few of the most common ‘lies’ we tell ourselves, which are “It’s too late” and “I don’t know how.” If you haven’t done so already, you might want to check out episodes 73 and 74 because they offer up an interesting perspective about how programmed patterns of thought can get us stuck and some helpful ways to break that cycle. So, you might want to go back and give that a listen.This week we’re going to talk about another common lie that we tell ourselves. It’s one that so many people struggle with at one time or another in some aspect of their life. And that is the lie, “I’m not good enough.”To clarify, what we’re going to talk about isn’t about trying something and just not feeling like you were very good at it. That happens. And when it’s something new, it’s usually true that we’re not very good at it. Most of the time, it takes practice and repetition before we master something new or feel like we’re good at it. And that’s not what I’m talking about here. This episode pertains to a persistent recurring pattern of thought around ‘not being good enough.’ So today, we’re going to explore the impact this thought can have if it’s something you think on a regular basis. And then I’ll offer up a few ways you can start to shift out of this negative thought pattern. This is going to be an interesting and I think very helpful episode for so many of us. So, let’s dive in.Now, as we’ve talked about before on this podcast, we’re not always aware of that inner dialogue we all have. Sometimes we’re tuned in to our thoughts. But many times, we’re not. So, if that’s you, you might be thinking, “Well, I don’t know if I think I’m not good enough.” The important thing to know is that our brain works fast. According to neuroscientists we have around 60,000 thoughts a day. Whatever the actual number, it’s a lot of thoughts. So of course, we’re not aware of each one. Many times, that internal monologue is just running below the surface, kind of like that ticker at the bottom of the 24-hour news channel. They’re just there, always running, always scrolling by. And sometimes we tune into them and sometimes we don’t. But even if we don’t consciously tune in, those thoughts are still having an impact on us. They affect our mood. They’re the source of our emotions. And since we know that everything we do or don’t do is caused by how we’re feeling, it’s important to start tuning into or gaining some level of awareness into the quality of your thoughts. For more, give the episode a listen.

I'm Not Good Enough (Lies We Tell Ourselves #3 of 5)

Last week we started a new series called Lies We Tell Ourselves. And I know that’s a provocative title. You might see that title and think “I don’t tell myself lies.” And listen, I get it. But I chose that title because I think it’s important to acknowledge the ways that our thoughts affect our lives. And how the things we tell ourselves – things we may or may not always be *consciously thinking* – get in the way of the things we really want in our life.The truth is that we all lie to ourselves at times. And not because we want to or consciously choose to. It’s not on purpose. It’s because of how our human brain works. It’s about the primitive brain, the oldest part of our brain that’s in the back just above the brainstem. The primitive brain has been around since the dawn of man and it’s the part responsible for fight or flight. Its job is to sense danger and keep us safe. This is what kept our caveman ancestors alive instead of getting eaten by the lion. So, that part of your brain doesn’t like change. It categorizes change or “new” as dangerous.What it *really likes* is for everything to stay the same. It wants you to be safe. So, in order to be safe, it needs to convince you to stay away from high risk activities.  And when it comes to your career, when we let the primitive brain be in charge, it will try to convince you to keep things the way they are. It’ll convince you to not make any big changes or put yourself out into the world in new ways. Ways that have the potential for failure. So, as we talked about last week, typically these “Lies We Tell Ourselves” happen when there’s something big and new that we want to do in our career or life. Like a new job. A promotion. Starting a side hustle or business.Or in our personal life, may it’s about losing weight.Or starting or leaving an important relationship. Because what we’re thinking of doing is new. Or maybe because you’ve tried the thing before and failed, your brain classifies those things as too risky or dangerous, so it serves up a thought designed to create fear or uncertainty. It does that because it knows that if you’re feeling uncertain, you’re less likely to follow-through and actually DO that scary thing you’re thinking of doing. Instead, if you believe whatever lie your brain serves up about the danger of the thing, you instead might choose to just stay where you’re at. To maintain the status quo in your career or life. And that decision makes the primitive brain incredibly happy. It got what it wanted. It kept you safe.For more, give the episode a listen.

Last week we started a new series called Lies We Tell Ourselves. And I know that’s a provocative title. You might see that title and think “I don’t tell myself lies.” And listen, I get it. But I chose that title because I think it’s important to acknowledge the ways that our thoughts affect our lives. And how the things we tell ourselves – things we may or may not always be *consciously thinking* – get in the way of the things we really want in our life.The truth is that we all lie to ourselves at times. And not because we want to or consciously choose to. It’s not on purpose. It’s because of how our human brain works. It’s about the primitive brain, the oldest part of our brain that’s in the back just above the brainstem. The primitive brain has been around since the dawn of man and it’s the part responsible for fight or flight. Its job is to sense danger and keep us safe. This is what kept our caveman ancestors alive instead of getting eaten by the lion. So, that part of your brain doesn’t like change. It categorizes change or “new” as dangerous.What it *really likes* is for everything to stay the same. It wants you to be safe. So, in order to be safe, it needs to convince you to stay away from high risk activities.  And when it comes to your career, when we let the primitive brain be in charge, it will try to convince you to keep things the way they are. It’ll convince you to not make any big changes or put yourself out into the world in new ways. Ways that have the potential for failure. So, as we talked about last week, typically these “Lies We Tell Ourselves” happen when there’s something big and new that we want to do in our career or life. Like a new job. A promotion. Starting a side hustle or business.Or in our personal life, may it’s about losing weight.Or starting or leaving an important relationship. Because what we’re thinking of doing is new. Or maybe because you’ve tried the thing before and failed, your brain classifies those things as too risky or dangerous, so it serves up a thought designed to create fear or uncertainty. It does that because it knows that if you’re feeling uncertain, you’re less likely to follow-through and actually DO that scary thing you’re thinking of doing. Instead, if you believe whatever lie your brain serves up about the danger of the thing, you instead might choose to just stay where you’re at. To maintain the status quo in your career or life. And that decision makes the primitive brain incredibly happy. It got what it wanted. It kept you safe. For more, give the episode a listen.

I Don't Know How (Lies We Tell Ourselves #2 of 5)

We teach Inner Leadership™. It's mindset mastery for driven professionals. The perfect combination of been-there-done-that wisdom combined with the latest in the cognitive behavioral approach and neuroscience. Yes, it's free to listen. But we predict you'll start thinking of it as your secret weapon. Give it a listen and then be sure to follow us. Because there's a new episode every Sunday. And you won't want to miss it. Let's be sure to connect on Instagram @thepurposefulcareer. It's a great place to get more information, a little daily motivation or to reach out to me directly with questions. See you there!

Before we get started on today’s topic, I want to officially welcome you to May. Can you believe we’re already a third of the way through 2022? I really can’t.But I will say that for me, 2022 has been amazing so far and I hope it’s been that way for you too. I’ve never been more productive – at work, in my business or at home. I think I’ve told you guys before, but I discovered this cognitive-based coaching approach back in 2018 and since then, I’ve been doing the daily self-coaching that’s at the center of it, I’ve invested in my own coaches, and I’ve discovered things – beliefs and limiting thoughts – that I honestly never knew that I had.Thoughts around time and age and relationships and reinvention and MONEY. I had no idea until I started to unwind my mind that those were in there. I had to get in touch with what I’m thinking. To get curious about the role those thoughts were playing in my life and to begin to believe new thoughts. Thoughts that served me.This coaching approach has given me the courage to make very purposeful but unconventional choices in my corporate career. Choices that three or four years ago would have seemed unthinkable, but which have not only served me, they’ve also helped me to fully realize so many dreams. And have made this business possible. It’s helped me tackle some of my biggest personal challenges with being consistent around fitness goals and some personal relationship goals. I’ve started to write again. For those who don’t know, I published a few romantic comedies in 2012 and 2015 under a pen name. They were fun, lighthearted stories that are just intended to offer and escape and a smile. I stopped doing that in 2015 because I told myself I didn’t have time and that my job was too demanding. But now, I’ve started again. About halfway through book three. And it really feeds my spirit. And last but certainly not least, I’ve now got a successful business – THIS business, The Purposeful Career – and I’m getting ready to launch another that will serve a different segment. More on that later.My point in telling you this is not to brag or not because I want this podcast to be about me, because I don’t. I want it to be about YOU. What YOU want. But I tell you this because the only way these things have become possible for me is through becoming aware of the thoughts that I had that I just thought were TRUE, but which were holding me back from fully realizing my potential and honestly, from what I truly wanted. This coaching approach has opened my world. It’s changed my life.For more, give the episode a listen.

Before we get started on today’s topic, I want to officially welcome you to May. Can you believe we’re already a third of the way through 2022? I really can’t.But I will say that for me, 2022 has been amazing so far and I hope it’s been that way for you too. I’ve never been more productive – at work, in my business or at home. I think I’ve told you guys before, but I discovered this cognitive-based coaching approach back in 2018 and since then, I’ve been doing the daily self-coaching that’s at the center of it, I’ve invested in my own coaches, and I’ve discovered things – beliefs and limiting thoughts – that I honestly never knew that I had.Thoughts around time and age and relationships and reinvention and MONEY. I had no idea until I started to unwind my mind that those were in there. I had to get in touch with what I’m thinking. To get curious about the role those thoughts were playing in my life and to begin to believe new thoughts. Thoughts that served me.This coaching approach has given me the courage to make very purposeful but unconventional choices in my corporate career. Choices that three or four years ago would have seemed unthinkable, but which have not only served me, they’ve also helped me to fully realize so many dreams. And have made this business possible. It’s helped me tackle some of my biggest personal challenges with being consistent around fitness goals and some personal relationship goals. I’ve started to write again. For those who don’t know, I published a few romantic comedies in 2012 and 2015 under a pen name. They were fun, lighthearted stories that are just intended to offer and escape and a smile. I stopped doing that in 2015 because I told myself I didn’t have time and that my job was too demanding. But now, I’ve started again. About halfway through book three. And it really feeds my spirit. And last but certainly not least, I’ve now got a successful business – THIS business, The Purposeful Career – and I’m getting ready to launch another that will serve a different segment. More on that later.My point in telling you this is not to brag or not because I want this podcast to be about me, because I don’t. I want it to be about YOU. What YOU want. But I tell you this because the only way these things have become possible for me is through becoming aware of the thoughts that I had that I just thought were TRUE, but which were holding me back from fully realizing my potential and honestly, from what I truly wanted. This coaching approach has opened my world. It’s changed my life.For more, give the episode a listen.

It's Too Late (Lies We Tell Ourselves #1 of 5)

This episode is the last of our three-part series on personal branding. So as a reminder, two weeks ago in the first episode in this series, we talked about how to create your brand reputation *on purpose*. That one was all about being intentional about what kind of brand experience you create when you work with others. Meaning, what it’s like for your colleagues and boss to work with you. This is about the things you do day in and day out which, over time, creates the reputation you develop within your career.And *last* week, we talked about how to create your personal brand positioning statement. This is all about getting clear on who you are, what matters to you and what you uniquely offer that is different from others. It’s about defining your unique strengths and attributes – the things that set you apart from everyone else – and aligning them with what your employer or clients are looking for from you. Its typically one sentence the succinctly and powerfully sums up who you are and what you have to offer. There are so many ways this comes in handy. I encourage my clients to use this sentence as the lead headline on their resume. I teach them how to story tell around the statement during interviews. And it's also a very helpful filter for evaluating all kinds of things – from potential jobs to the types of companies, cultures or bosses best align with who you are – and ultimately it helps to direct the thing we’re going to talk about today which if your brand image. So, if you haven’t listened to those two episodes yet, you might want to go back and give them a listen. Because they’re going to offer you so many practical tips on how to get clear on who you are and what you have to offer.  But today I want to talk about a third important aspect of personal branding which is, how to cultivate an intentional brand image. Which means, how to define and curate the image you project to the world. Not because you’re trying to get anyone else’s approval or conform to anyone’s narrow standard of how you should look. Just the opposite.When you cultivate a brand image that truly reflects who you are, it creates feelings of confidence. Pride. Empowerment.  And as we’ve shared before on this podcast, when you feel positive emotions, that leads you to take positive actions and you’ll get positive results. So, when you feel proud of the image you’re projecting in the world – when you truly feel that how you’re presenting yourself is a reflection of YOU – everything you feel and do will be about delivering the kinds of results you want in your life.So, before we get into the episode, I want to go a little deeper on what I shared a second ago.What we’re going to discuss about your personal brand image is NOT about pleasing anyone else or conforming to anyone else’s view of how you should look. It’s not intended to be any sort of statement about what’s acceptable or what’s not. And it’s not intended to make any sort of statement about any aspect of what makes each of us unique and special. So, we’re not talking gender identity, race, age, body type, ethnicity, or any other attribute.But what we ARE going to talk about today is WHY we need to be intentional about how we choose to present ourselves to the world. And then how to go about doing that.For more, give the episode a listen.

This episode is the last of our three-part series on personal branding. So as a reminder, two weeks ago in the first episode in this series, we talked about how to create your brand reputation *on purpose*. That one was all about being intentional about what kind of brand experience you create when you work with others. Meaning, what it’s like for your colleagues and boss to work with you. This is about the things you do day in and day out which, over time, creates the reputation you develop within your career.And *last* week, we talked about how to create your personal brand positioning statement. This is all about getting clear on who you are, what matters to you and what you uniquely offer that is different from others. It’s about defining your unique strengths and attributes – the things that set you apart from everyone else – and aligning them with what your employer or clients are looking for from you. Its typically one sentence the succinctly and powerfully sums up who you are and what you have to offer. There are so many ways this comes in handy. I encourage my clients to use this sentence as the lead headline on their resume. I teach them how to story tell around the statement during interviews. And it's also a very helpful filter for evaluating all kinds of things – from potential jobs to the types of companies, cultures or bosses best align with who you are – and ultimately it helps to direct the thing we’re going to talk about today which if your brand image. So, if you haven’t listened to those two episodes yet, you might want to go back and give them a listen. Because they’re going to offer you so many practical tips on how to get clear on who you are and what you have to offer.  But today I want to talk about a third important aspect of personal branding which is, how to cultivate an intentional brand image. Which means, how to define and curate the image you project to the world. Not because you’re trying to get anyone else’s approval or conform to anyone’s narrow standard of how you should look. Just the opposite.When you cultivate a brand image that truly reflects who you are, it creates feelings of confidence. Pride. Empowerment.  And as we’ve shared before on this podcast, when you feel positive emotions, that leads you to take positive actions and you’ll get positive results. So, when you feel proud of the image you’re projecting in the world – when you truly feel that how you’re presenting yourself is a reflection of YOU – everything you feel and do will be about delivering the kinds of results you want in your life.So, before we get into the episode, I want to go a little deeper on what I shared a second ago.What we’re going to discuss about your personal brand image is NOT about pleasing anyone else or conforming to anyone else’s view of how you should look. It’s not intended to be any sort of statement about what’s acceptable or what’s not. And it’s not intended to make any sort of statement about any aspect of what makes each of us unique and special. So, we’re not talking gender identity, race, age, body type, ethnicity, or any other attribute.But what we ARE going to talk about today is WHY we need to be intentional about how we choose to present ourselves to the world. And then how to go about doing that. For more, give the episode a listen.

Your Brand Image (Personal Branding #3 of 3)

In last week’s episode, we talked about how to intentionally shape your personal brand experience or what it’s like to interact or work with you. This is part of strategic brand development that works the same whether it’s about developing a company’s brand OR your own personal brand. Anyway, that episode was so popular, and I heard from so many of you, that I decided to turn it into a three-part personal branding series. This is important for every stage of your career – whether you’re just getting started or whether you’ve reached the most senior levels because it ensures that you’re showing up as the person you’re intending to be. This is also the first thing we work on in my monthly membership, Next Level. Because before we start working on all the *external things* you want to change – your job, your boss, your career path – we start *first* with working on YOU. We define who you are, what you want, what you’re good at, what’s important to you, how you want to show up, how you present yourself, what it’s like to interact with you. How you see yourself. What you’re telling yourself about you. And we do this BEFORE we start making any external changes to your career or life. Why? Because no matter how many times you change jobs, bosses, or career paths – no matter how many businesses you start – you’re never going to get the things you want until you change YOURSELF. Until you define exactly what you want and what you’re great at and how you want to spend your time and what you value in a boss, culture or company, you’re always going to be chasing happiness. And you’ll always believe that it’s somewhere else. And while it very well *might* be somewhere else, sometimes – many times, actually – you can find the happiness and fulfillment you’re looking for right where you’re standing.If I could tell you how very long and how very many job changes and city changes, I had to go through before I realized that…Holy Moly. So, think of this three-part series as an inner exploration that makes all the outer success that you’re looking for possible. And trust me when I tell you it can save you time, money, heartache, frustration.  All of it.     Anyway, last week’s episode was all about how you conduct yourself in the work environment. The personal brand experience you create when others work with you which goes a long way toward shaping your brand reputation, or the things you’re known for.  But today, we’re going to talk about a different aspect of personal branding and that is your personal brand positioning. Now in marketing terms, a brand positioning is defined as how a brand is *different from* its competition. Or another way to think about it is what its known for in the minds of customers. A lot of things go into this include what a brand is good at, known for and uniquely delivers.And this is equally important when it comes to you. To *your* personal brand. Because in my experience of working with hundreds of people as either clients in my business or people I’ve led in my career, very few of them can articulate what they’re great at. And this is true across all career stages – even people at the very top of the organization.Now, you might be wondering why this is a problem. Like, why isn’t it enough that I’m just good at the job I do? And my answer is that if you want to truly be fulfilled in your career – to max out your earning potential, to love what you do AND the people you do it with – you have to understand three things about yourself.1.       What you’re great at.2.       How you differ from and ideally are stronger than others in your field. 3.       What you value or are interested in that you can earn money doing.For more, give the episode a listen.

In last week’s episode, we talked about how to intentionally shape your personal brand experience or what it’s like to interact or work with you. This is part of strategic brand development that works the same whether it’s about developing a company’s brand OR your own personal brand. Anyway, that episode was so popular, and I heard from so many of you, that I decided to turn it into a three-part personal branding series. This is important for every stage of your career – whether you’re just getting started or whether you’ve reached the most senior levels because it ensures that you’re showing up as the person you’re intending to be. This is also the first thing we work on in my monthly membership, Next Level. Because before we start working on all the *external things* you want to change – your job, your boss, your career path – we start *first* with working on YOU. We define who you are, what you want, what you’re good at, what’s important to you, how you want to show up, how you present yourself, what it’s like to interact with you. How you see yourself. What you’re telling yourself about you. And we do this BEFORE we start making any external changes to your career or life. Why? Because no matter how many times you change jobs, bosses, or career paths – no matter how many businesses you start – you’re never going to get the things you want until you change YOURSELF. Until you define exactly what you want and what you’re great at and how you want to spend your time and what you value in a boss, culture or company, you’re always going to be chasing happiness. And you’ll always believe that it’s somewhere else. And while it very well *might* be somewhere else, sometimes – many times, actually – you can find the happiness and fulfillment you’re looking for right where you’re standing.If I could tell you how very long and how very many job changes and city changes, I had to go through before I realized that…Holy Moly. So, think of this three-part series as an inner exploration that makes all the outer success that you’re looking for possible. And trust me when I tell you it can save you time, money, heartache, frustration.  All of it.     Anyway, last week’s episode was all about how you conduct yourself in the work environment. The personal brand experience you create when others work with you which goes a long way toward shaping your brand reputation, or the things you’re known for.  But today, we’re going to talk about a different aspect of personal branding and that is your personal brand positioning. Now in marketing terms, a brand positioning is defined as how a brand is *different from* its competition. Or another way to think about it is what its known for in the minds of customers. A lot of things go into this include what a brand is good at, known for and uniquely delivers.And this is equally important when it comes to you. To *your* personal brand. Because in my experience of working with hundreds of people as either clients in my business or people I’ve led in my career, very few of them can articulate what they’re great at. And this is true across all career stages – even people at the very top of the organization.Now, you might be wondering why this is a problem. Like, why isn’t it enough that I’m just good at the job I do? And my answer is that if you want to truly be fulfilled in your career – to max out your earning potential, to love what you do AND the people you do it with – you have to understand three things about yourself.1.       What you’re great at.2.       How you differ from and ideally are stronger than others in your field. 3.       What you value or are interested in that you can earn money doing.For more, give the episode a listen.

Your Brand Positioning (Personal Branding #2 of 3)

Today I want to talk about creating and managing your personal brand reputation. This is a super interesting topic for me because for most of my corporate career, I’ve been a brand strategist. That means that I’ve spent my career creating and reinventing the brand image of the companies I’ve worked for. It’s a fun and creative field and there are a lot of things that go into doing this, but one of the most important things is to create a meaningful brand experience for customers. That is, to intentionally shape valuable and memorable experiences that customers will have with your brand. These things can create trust and loyalty and passion.  This is important because more than the things a company says through its advertising or marketing, the actual experience customers have with the brand will do more to shape its image and reputation than almost anything else a brand can do. That’s where hardcore brand loyalty comes from. And, once that image is established in the minds of customers – whether good OR bad – it can be hard to change. And they can do all the strategy work and spend millions and millions of dollars in advertising trying to reposition, but if a certain image or reputation exists, it can be really hard to shift out of that. Meaning, if a brand is beloved by customers they’ll put up with mistakes and stumbles, unfortunate decisions, price increases, lack of inventory and more before they’ll stop buying. It’s like a well of trust has been built and it can take quite awhile before that goodwill starts to erode. Anyone remember the see-through yoga pants scandal from Lululemon a few years ago? For a more fledgling brand, this could have shut them down for good but for Lululemon’s customer base, it was barely a blip on the radar. Or how about the diehard loyalty of Apple enthusiasts. I know I’m one of them. So much so that I’d never even consider a phone from another manufacturer, and I don’t even look at their attributes or price compare. For me, it’s just always going to be an Apple iPhone and that’s that.Conversely, for a brand that hasn’t built up a lot of customer goodwill, it only takes one or two significant bumps before its reputation or sales can take a nosedive. That’s because there’s a lack of brand reputation and trust so whatever goodwill they might have built up is shallower and it doesn’t take long for it to erode.But what I wanted to ask you today is whether you’ve thought about this same paradigm when it comes to YOUR personal brand reputation within your career? Because it’s the same for you as it is for the companies I just described.Within the businesses we work in, each of us are ‘known’ for a set of things. And every time we do something or interact with people – our boss, our teammates, or colleagues – whether it’s in a formal setting, around the watercooler or on Zoom, the things we say and do combine and build to become how we’re perceived by others.Most of us recognize this to the extent that we know the quality of work we do is important. BUT what many of us DON’T know is how the more informal things we do – the day-to-day or moment-to-moment interaction we have with others – comes together to create the reputation we have with our colleagues. And once we’re known for a set of things – whether good or bad or whether fair or unfair in our view – it can be very hard to shift that image in the minds of our boss or colleagues.This is important to know and understand. And that’s why today, we’re going to talk about how to intentionally shape your brand reputation.  For more, give the episode a listen.

Today I want to talk about creating and managing your personal brand reputation. This is a super interesting topic for me because for most of my corporate career, I’ve been a brand strategist. That means that I’ve spent my career creating and reinventing the brand image of the companies I’ve worked for. It’s a fun and creative field and there are a lot of things that go into doing this, but one of the most important things is to create a meaningful brand experience for customers. That is, to intentionally shape valuable and memorable experiences that customers will have with your brand. These things can create trust and loyalty and passion.  This is important because more than the things a company says through its advertising or marketing, the actual experience customers have with the brand will do more to shape its image and reputation than almost anything else a brand can do. That’s where hardcore brand loyalty comes from. And, once that image is established in the minds of customers – whether good OR bad – it can be hard to change. And they can do all the strategy work and spend millions and millions of dollars in advertising trying to reposition, but if a certain image or reputation exists, it can be really hard to shift out of that. Meaning, if a brand is beloved by customers they’ll put up with mistakes and stumbles, unfortunate decisions, price increases, lack of inventory and more before they’ll stop buying. It’s like a well of trust has been built and it can take quite awhile before that goodwill starts to erode. Anyone remember the see-through yoga pants scandal from Lululemon a few years ago? For a more fledgling brand, this could have shut them down for good but for Lululemon’s customer base, it was barely a blip on the radar. Or how about the diehard loyalty of Apple enthusiasts. I know I’m one of them. So much so that I’d never even consider a phone from another manufacturer, and I don’t even look at their attributes or price compare. For me, it’s just always going to be an Apple iPhone and that’s that.Conversely, for a brand that hasn’t built up a lot of customer goodwill, it only takes one or two significant bumps before its reputation or sales can take a nosedive. That’s because there’s a lack of brand reputation and trust so whatever goodwill they might have built up is shallower and it doesn’t take long for it to erode.But what I wanted to ask you today is whether you’ve thought about this same paradigm when it comes to YOUR personal brand reputation within your career? Because it’s the same for you as it is for the companies I just described.Within the businesses we work in, each of us are ‘known’ for a set of things. And every time we do something or interact with people – our boss, our teammates, or colleagues – whether it’s in a formal setting, around the watercooler or on Zoom, the things we say and do combine and build to become how we’re perceived by others.Most of us recognize this to the extent that we know the quality of work we do is important. BUT what many of us DON’T know is how the more informal things we do – the day-to-day or moment-to-moment interaction we have with others – comes together to create the reputation we have with our colleagues. And once we’re known for a set of things – whether good or bad or whether fair or unfair in our view – it can be very hard to shift that image in the minds of our boss or colleagues.This is important to know and understand. And that’s why today, we’re going to talk about how to intentionally shape your brand reputation.   For more, give the episode a listen.

Your Brand Reputation (Personal Branding #1 of 3) 

In today's episode, we’re going to talk about what’s behind motivation. Meaning, what galvanizes us to do or not do the things we want in our lives.Because I’ve always wondered that, haven’t you? Like how come sometimes we can feel an unstoppable drive to go after or tackle something new or hard. And other times we just ignore the big things we want to achieve and instead of going after them, we camp out on the sofa binge-watching Netflix. Do you look for motivation within yourself or do you expect it to come from something outside of you – like a reward or inspiration or maybe for you it’s about an impending deadline.How many times have you told yourself “I’m just not motivated right now.”?And how has that affected your life or career?For example, let’s say you want to lose the 30 pounds you gained during Covid. But you keep putting off the healthier eating protocol and the trips to the gym because you tell yourself you’ll do it later. Either tomorrow or next week or next year.I think the idea of later has stolen more dreams from more people than almost anything else. Because when we tell ourselves we’ll do it “later” we feel better in the moment because we’ve told ourselves that we’re still going to do it…just not right now. So, we take the pressure off ourselves because we don’t have to endure the discomfort of starting something hard and we keep the dream alive by telling us we’re going to do it someday. But then what usually happens? For most of us, later ultimately turns into never. Or let’s say you really want a new job or maybe you want to start that side hustle or business you’ve been dreaming about. You know the market is hot right now but for some reason, you just can’t get yourself motivated. You tell yourself you want to get ahead, you want to make more money, but you keep putting off the networking, the searching for new opportunities. You don’t dust off the resume or start working on the business plan because it feels too hard. You just don’t feel motivated to do it.So many of us make the idea of motivation mean that it’s something outside our control. That it’s something we will feel only after the right thing is said to us or there’s an important enough deadline or consequence looming to finally get us off the couch and doing something.We think motivation is a magical thing that comes from somewhere else, and we’re sort of waiting for it to, metaphorically speaking, fly through an open window and whip us into action.But that idea of motivation never works over the long term. The idea that something outside us can make us motivated just doesn’t work. Like a looming deadline or the promise of a big reward might galvanize us ahead for a short time, but it won’t be sustainable. In today’s episode, I want to offer up a psychology-based theory on where motivation comes from and how to cultivate it in yourself. It’s called the Self-Determination theory. And I think you’ll find it super interesting.For more, give the episode a listen.

In today's episode, we’re going to talk about what’s behind motivation. Meaning, what galvanizes us to do or not do the things we want in our lives.Because I’ve always wondered that, haven’t you? Like how come sometimes we can feel an unstoppable drive to go after or tackle something new or hard. And other times we just ignore the big things we want to achieve and instead of going after them, we camp out on the sofa binge-watching Netflix. Do you look for motivation within yourself or do you expect it to come from something outside of you – like a reward or inspiration or maybe for you it’s about an impending deadline.How many times have you told yourself “I’m just not motivated right now.”?And how has that affected your life or career?For example, let’s say you want to lose the 30 pounds you gained during Covid. But you keep putting off the healthier eating protocol and the trips to the gym because you tell yourself you’ll do it later. Either tomorrow or next week or next year.I think the idea of later has stolen more dreams from more people than almost anything else. Because when we tell ourselves we’ll do it “later” we feel better in the moment because we’ve told ourselves that we’re still going to do it…just not right now. So, we take the pressure off ourselves because we don’t have to endure the discomfort of starting something hard and we keep the dream alive by telling us we’re going to do it someday. But then what usually happens? For most of us, later ultimately turns into never. Or let’s say you really want a new job or maybe you want to start that side hustle or business you’ve been dreaming about. You know the market is hot right now but for some reason, you just can’t get yourself motivated. You tell yourself you want to get ahead, you want to make more money, but you keep putting off the networking, the searching for new opportunities. You don’t dust off the resume or start working on the business plan because it feels too hard. You just don’t feel motivated to do it.So many of us make the idea of motivation mean that it’s something outside our control. That it’s something we will feel only after the right thing is said to us or there’s an important enough deadline or consequence looming to finally get us off the couch and doing something.We think motivation is a magical thing that comes from somewhere else, and we’re sort of waiting for it to, metaphorically speaking, fly through an open window and whip us into action.But that idea of motivation never works over the long term. The idea that something outside us can make us motivated just doesn’t work. Like a looming deadline or the promise of a big reward might galvanize us ahead for a short time, but it won’t be sustainable. In today’s episode, I want to offer up a psychology-based theory on where motivation comes from and how to cultivate it in yourself. It’s called the Self-Determination theory. And I think you’ll find it super interesting. For more, give the episode a listen.

Getting & Staying Motivated

Today we’re going to discuss how you talk to or treat yourself when you’ve made a mistake, or maybe when you’ve not shown up as your best. And specifically, what to do when we have a habit of beating ourselves up for that. For example…Let’s say you lose your patience with a friend or co-worker and say some things you wish you hadn’t. Or maybe you take on new responsibilities at work and give it your absolute best but in your view (or maybe your boss’s) you come up short.When you do something that you regret or show up as less than your best, how do you handle it? Do you roll with it and vow to do better next time? Or do you obsess and overthink and beat yourself up?How many mistakes and regrets from your past are you still punishing yourself for – either in your personal or professional life?This is important to know because how we talk to and treat ourselves matters. We all know that none of us are perfect. We all make mistakes. We all show up sometimes as less than we know we can be. But some of us find it easier to accept that while others spend their entire lives punishing themselves for every way they believe they’ve stumbled a little.Being self-aware that you’ve fallen a little short of expectations – your own or others – is a good thing. We can learn from those situations and ideally vow to show up better next time we’re in that situation. But too often, instead of using that self-awareness of the mistake or failure or regretful thing to improve how we show up going forward, many of us will instead compound that thing we regret by lashing out at ourselves. Because for some, the self-awareness and feelings of regret can trigger an overactive Inner Critic who might make the problem even worse by beating ourselves up. And instead of looking for the lessons to fuel a better performance in the future, we can erode our self esteem and confidence by bullying and berating ourselves endlessly for what we did wrong. And that can really hold us back in our career. It can keep us stuck in fear and uncertainty and regret and make our life less joyful than it could be.For so many of us it’s too easy to be tough on ourselves and it’s a regular habit. And the problem with that is that instead of realizing that the problem is coming from habitual negative patterns of thought, we can make the mistake of thinking that nasty voice in our head just knows the truth about us. So, for all you perfectionists and overthinkers and self-doubters, this is for you. Even if beating up on yourself has become a life- long habit that’s deeply ingrained. The important thing to know is that you can shift out of that habit by learning how to practice self-compassion. For more, give the episode a listen.

Today we’re going to discuss how you talk to or treat yourself when you’ve made a mistake, or maybe when you’ve not shown up as your best. And specifically, what to do when we have a habit of beating ourselves up for that. For example…Let’s say you lose your patience with a friend or co-worker and say some things you wish you hadn’t. Or maybe you take on new responsibilities at work and give it your absolute best but in your view (or maybe your boss’s) you come up short.When you do something that you regret or show up as less than your best, how do you handle it? Do you roll with it and vow to do better next time? Or do you obsess and overthink and beat yourself up?How many mistakes and regrets from your past are you still punishing yourself for – either in your personal or professional life?This is important to know because how we talk to and treat ourselves matters. We all know that none of us are perfect. We all make mistakes. We all show up sometimes as less than we know we can be. But some of us find it easier to accept that while others spend their entire lives punishing themselves for every way they believe they’ve stumbled a little.Being self-aware that you’ve fallen a little short of expectations – your own or others – is a good thing. We can learn from those situations and ideally vow to show up better next time we’re in that situation. But too often, instead of using that self-awareness of the mistake or failure or regretful thing to improve how we show up going forward, many of us will instead compound that thing we regret by lashing out at ourselves. Because for some, the self-awareness and feelings of regret can trigger an overactive Inner Critic who might make the problem even worse by beating ourselves up. And instead of looking for the lessons to fuel a better performance in the future, we can erode our self esteem and confidence by bullying and berating ourselves endlessly for what we did wrong. And that can really hold us back in our career. It can keep us stuck in fear and uncertainty and regret and make our life less joyful than it could be.For so many of us it’s too easy to be tough on ourselves and it’s a regular habit. And the problem with that is that instead of realizing that the problem is coming from habitual negative patterns of thought, we can make the mistake of thinking that nasty voice in our head just knows the truth about us. So, for all you perfectionists and overthinkers and self-doubters, this is for you. Even if beating up on yourself has become a life- long habit that’s deeply ingrained. The important thing to know is that you can shift out of that habit by learning how to practice self-compassion.  For more, give the episode a listen.

How to Be Kinder to Yourself

So last week I introduced you to the work of Dr. Richard Wiseman who did a ten-year study on Luck. And we talked about the four principles he says that all lucky people share that he developed based on that study. So, if you haven’t listened to that, go back, and give Episode 66 a listen. It’s a great perspective.But that episode might’ve left you wondering what you do if you’re at the opposite end of the spectrum. If you feel like you’re Unlucky. Or maybe that, no matter what you do or what you try, you just can’t seem to catch a break.Well, this episode is for you because I’m going to share some wisdom from Max Gunther, a British American journalist who, like Richard Wiseman, also wrote a book called The Luck Factor. And in that book, he shared five rules for changing your luck. If all this talk about luck, has you feeling like you need a little Luck Adjustment, this episode is for you. So, let’s dive in. As a journalist exploring the idea of Luck, Max Gunther claims to have spoken to and interviewed close to a thousand people from all walks of life. Gamblers, business leaders, psychiatrists, and everyday people. These people ran the gamut from extraordinarily lucky to incredibly unlucky. And from those conversations, he learned that of course, the ideas about what makes people lucky varies widely. But when he looked deeper, he found that there are five outstanding characteristics that distinguish lucky people from Unlucky people. These five characteristics are their ways of being. And they reflect everything from attitudes about themselves and others and an inner talk track that serves them. So first, I’ll share the five characteristics and then we’ll take them one by one.1.       Lucky people use a spiderweb structure.2.       Lucky people have a very strong hunching skill.3.       Lucky people live boldly.4.       Lucky people move quickly to mitigate the downside.5.       Lucky people have a healthy pessimism.For more, give the episode a listen. 

So last week I introduced you to the work of Dr. Richard Wiseman who did a ten-year study on Luck. And we talked about the four principles he says that all lucky people share that he developed based on that study. So, if you haven’t listened to that, go back, and give Episode 66 a listen. It’s a great perspective.But that episode might’ve left you wondering what you do if you’re at the opposite end of the spectrum. If you feel like you’re Unlucky. Or maybe that, no matter what you do or what you try, you just can’t seem to catch a break.Well, this episode is for you because I’m going to share some wisdom from Max Gunther, a British American journalist who, like Richard Wiseman, also wrote a book called The Luck Factor. And in that book, he shared five rules for changing your luck. If all this talk about luck, has you feeling like you need a little Luck Adjustment, this episode is for you. So, let’s dive in. As a journalist exploring the idea of Luck, Max Gunther claims to have spoken to and interviewed close to a thousand people from all walks of life. Gamblers, business leaders, psychiatrists, and everyday people. These people ran the gamut from extraordinarily lucky to incredibly unlucky. And from those conversations, he learned that of course, the ideas about what makes people lucky varies widely. But when he looked deeper, he found that there are five outstanding characteristics that distinguish lucky people from Unlucky people. These five characteristics are their ways of being. And they reflect everything from attitudes about themselves and others and an inner talk track that serves them. So first, I’ll share the five characteristics and then we’ll take them one by one.1.       Lucky people use a spiderweb structure.2.       Lucky people have a very strong hunching skill.3.       Lucky people live boldly.4.       Lucky people move quickly to mitigate the downside.5.       Lucky people have a healthy pessimism. For more, give the episode a listen.

The Luck Adjustment (#2 of 2)

So, in just a few days, we’ll be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. And in honor of that day when we tend to celebrate Irish culture and all things Irish, I wanted to talk today about “Luck.” That might seem a little ‘out there’ when talking about career but hang with me because I’m going to talk about what it means to have “The Luck Factor” and four principles you can use to apply this to your own career and life.You’ve probably heard the term “Luck of the Irish.” I did a little research on that term because I always thought it referred to the good fortune of the people of Ireland. But, according to Edward T. O’Donnell, a profession of history at Holy Cross College and author of 1001 Things Everyone Should know about Irish American History, the phrase *isn’t* about that.The phrase Luck of the Irish was coined in the late 19th century during the gold and silver rush years in the U.S. Apparently, some of the most famous and successful miners were of Irish and Irish American birth. Mining – especially in those days – was highly speculative and of course, many speculators flamed out. But many of those of Irish descent seemed to have an intuitive knack for it. And over time, the association between success and Irish became known as “Luck of the Irish.”But we’re not going to talk about mining or celebrating Irish Culture on today’s episode. Instead, we’re going to talk about how to be luckier as it relates to your career and life. And how anyone can follow four principles to learn *how* to be luckier. So, pour yourself an Irish Coffee or a glass of green beer, and let’s dive in.Now, I want to begin by asking you a few questions when it comes to luck in your career or life.·         Have you ever wondered why opportunity seems to chase some people down while others struggle to get ahead?·         Have you ever wondered why some people seem to race up the corporate ladder while others, just as talented or maybe even more talented, struggle?·         Have you ever wondered why some people go from miserable job to miserable job (or relationship to relationship) while others find themselves making decisions that better serve them?·         Is luck random? Or do you believe anyone can learn to be luckier?Well, according to Richard Wiseman, a professor of psychology in Britain, who wrote a book called The Luck Factor, there are indeed people who are luckier in life but it’s not a random thing. He says that lucky people tend to take advantage of life’s good breaks while minimizing the effects of bad breaks.And he should know because his observation came from a study of hundreds of people – both lucky and unlucky – that he did over a decade. From that study, he developed four psychological principles used by lucky people to create their good fortune. And these are principles any of us can learn and put into practice.From that study he hypothesized that lucky people invest themselves in a wide array of activities, which means they then have a greater potential for more experiences, more connections with people and therefore, more chances to experience good luck.Join us for this episode to learn practical ways to bring more good fortune into your life. 

So, in just a few days, we’ll be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. And in honor of that day when we tend to celebrate Irish culture and all things Irish, I wanted to talk today about “Luck.” That might seem a little ‘out there’ when talking about career but hang with me because I’m going to talk about what it means to have “The Luck Factor” and four principles you can use to apply this to your own career and life.You’ve probably heard the term “Luck of the Irish.” I did a little research on that term because I always thought it referred to the good fortune of the people of Ireland. But, according to Edward T. O’Donnell, a profession of history at Holy Cross College and author of 1001 Things Everyone Should know about Irish American History, the phrase *isn’t* about that.The phrase Luck of the Irish was coined in the late 19th century during the gold and silver rush years in the U.S. Apparently, some of the most famous and successful miners were of Irish and Irish American birth. Mining – especially in those days – was highly speculative and of course, many speculators flamed out. But many of those of Irish descent seemed to have an intuitive knack for it. And over time, the association between success and Irish became known as “Luck of the Irish.”But we’re not going to talk about mining or celebrating Irish Culture on today’s episode. Instead, we’re going to talk about how to be luckier as it relates to your career and life. And how anyone can follow four principles to learn *how* to be luckier. So, pour yourself an Irish Coffee or a glass of green beer, and let’s dive in.Now, I want to begin by asking you a few questions when it comes to luck in your career or life.·         Have you ever wondered why opportunity seems to chase some people down while others struggle to get ahead?·         Have you ever wondered why some people seem to race up the corporate ladder while others, just as talented or maybe even more talented, struggle?·         Have you ever wondered why some people go from miserable job to miserable job (or relationship to relationship) while others find themselves making decisions that better serve them?·         Is luck random? Or do you believe anyone can learn to be luckier?Well, according to Richard Wiseman, a professor of psychology in Britain, who wrote a book called The Luck Factor, there are indeed people who are luckier in life but it’s not a random thing. He says that lucky people tend to take advantage of life’s good breaks while minimizing the effects of bad breaks.And he should know because his observation came from a study of hundreds of people – both lucky and unlucky – that he did over a decade. From that study, he developed four psychological principles used by lucky people to create their good fortune. And these are principles any of us can learn and put into practice.From that study he hypothesized that lucky people invest themselves in a wide array of activities, which means they then have a greater potential for more experiences, more connections with people and therefore, more chances to experience good luck. Join us for this episode to learn practical ways to bring more good fortune into your life.

The Luck Factor (#1 of 2)

A few weeks ago, I came across a Harvard Business Review article from back in 2018 related to Perfectionism. And it changed the way I think about it. So, I did a lot more research and reading on the topic and I wanted to share it with you. Because it really opened my eyes. Not only to the realities of perfectionism and the fact that it’s not only a growing problem – no big surprise in the age of social media, right? – but that it can show up in more ways that you probably realize. I know it was news to me.So, in this episode I’m going to walk you through the three types of Perfectionism – I know…who knew there were three? – the impact each type has on the person (and maybe others) and, what to do about it. I thought this would be a great episode even if you *don’t* feel like you’ve got Perfectionist tendencies.  Because once you learn a little more about it, I think you might recognize some of these behaviors in those around you. People you love. Maybe people you lead. And so, I wanted to share this information and give you some tips and insights that might help.So, let’s dive in.Let’s start with what for me was the big news. And that is that Perfectionism is not a one size fits all thing. To be honest, I’ve never thought a lot about Perfectionism probably because I didn’t consider it to be a big issue for me. I thought Perfectionists were just people with a super high bar who were never satisfied with themselves and always criticizing themselves. So, while I’ve had friends and colleagues who I might put in this bucket, I never considered myself anywhere close to that. I mean, I have high standards and sometimes I have a little voice inside – my Inner Critic – that whispers that something I’m trying to do isn’t good enough, but I considered it a minor annoyance. It certainly hasn’t stopped me from doing anything I wanted to do, though I realize that at times my minor little perfectionist qualities did occasionally cause me to Procrastinate. But to be honest, I always thought of Perfectionists as being far more exacting. Some shade of grey just shy of well, being Perfect. And so, I never identified with it.But as I dove into the article on Perfectionism, it was a real revelation for me. Turns out, two Canadian psychologists – Paul Hewitt and Gordon Flett – have led a decades-long research study (that went from the late 80’s to like 2016). And they used the insights from this study to create something called the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. And the scale they developed reveals that there’s a range of Perfectionism. It’s categorized into three types based on where the Perfectionist lens is placed, which I’ll explain more in a minute. The three types are:·         Self-Oriented Perfectionism·         Other-Oriented Perfectionism·         Socially Prescribed PerfectionismFor more on each and what you can do about it, give the episode a listen.

A few weeks ago, I came across a Harvard Business Review article from back in 2018 related to Perfectionism. And it changed the way I think about it. So, I did a lot more research and reading on the topic and I wanted to share it with you. Because it really opened my eyes. Not only to the realities of perfectionism and the fact that it’s not only a growing problem – no big surprise in the age of social media, right? – but that it can show up in more ways that you probably realize. I know it was news to me.So, in this episode I’m going to walk you through the three types of Perfectionism – I know…who knew there were three? – the impact each type has on the person (and maybe others) and, what to do about it. I thought this would be a great episode even if you *don’t* feel like you’ve got Perfectionist tendencies.  Because once you learn a little more about it, I think you might recognize some of these behaviors in those around you. People you love. Maybe people you lead. And so, I wanted to share this information and give you some tips and insights that might help.So, let’s dive in.Let’s start with what for me was the big news. And that is that Perfectionism is not a one size fits all thing. To be honest, I’ve never thought a lot about Perfectionism probably because I didn’t consider it to be a big issue for me. I thought Perfectionists were just people with a super high bar who were never satisfied with themselves and always criticizing themselves. So, while I’ve had friends and colleagues who I might put in this bucket, I never considered myself anywhere close to that. I mean, I have high standards and sometimes I have a little voice inside – my Inner Critic – that whispers that something I’m trying to do isn’t good enough, but I considered it a minor annoyance. It certainly hasn’t stopped me from doing anything I wanted to do, though I realize that at times my minor little perfectionist qualities did occasionally cause me to Procrastinate. But to be honest, I always thought of Perfectionists as being far more exacting. Some shade of grey just shy of well, being Perfect. And so, I never identified with it.But as I dove into the article on Perfectionism, it was a real revelation for me. Turns out, two Canadian psychologists – Paul Hewitt and Gordon Flett – have led a decades-long research study (that went from the late 80’s to like 2016). And they used the insights from this study to create something called the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. And the scale they developed reveals that there’s a range of Perfectionism. It’s categorized into three types based on where the Perfectionist lens is placed, which I’ll explain more in a minute. The three types are:·         Self-Oriented Perfectionism·         Other-Oriented Perfectionism·         Socially Prescribed Perfectionism For more on each and what you can do about it, give the episode a listen.

The Three Types of Perfectionism and What to Do About It

Today we’re going to talk about how to drive change at work. Now this isn’t about the actual development of the idea of the change you want to drive because that’s something you already know how to do. You already know how to come up with ideas. Today we’re going to talk about what happens when you share your idea with others. You can also think of this as being about how to influence others. And the model I’m going to share today will help you understand the human behavior behind adopting something new. Because while some people are very adaptable to change and some are highly resistant to change, the truth is, everyone goes through four phases of the model I’m about to share. Some just do that more quickly than others.  As a person who’s introducing a new idea into your organization – no matter how big or small the impact might be – it’s helpful to know. Whether you want to introduce a new strategy, recommend changing outside partners, streamlining internal processes, shifting an organizational model or team structure or pretty much anything else you think of that’s about moving someone else’s cheese, this approach will help you.This was a hot topic recently for one of my private coaching clients. She’s in a CMO role inside a Fortune 500 organization. She’s still kind of new, having taken the role six months ago. And given the C in her title and the fact that she’s new, pretty much everything she does it about change. All day, every day. In the short time she’s been there, she’s repositioned the brand, introduced a new advertising company and now she’s starting to look at some bigger disruptors like changing a long-time agency relationship, streamlining her organizational model, and shifting some of how the work gets done inside her team. And those changes in and of themselves are easy for her. Innovating and finding new and better ways to do things is her superpower. But for her, doing this inside a big, established, set-in-it’s-ways Fortune 500 is very different from doing so inside a startup. And that’s where she’s spent most of her career. Startups by nature are still being formed so they’re naturally more nimble and agile. So, as she’s recently taken on this role inside a large decades old – and maybe slightly stuck corporation she’s found that driving change – honestly, even sharing new ideas – inside that type of environment is a very different thing.Instead of finding numerous allies who see her vision and readily expand on it, she finds herself endlessly explaining the ideas again and again. And in general, just being met with this ‘wall of resistance’ (that’s what she calls it) whenever anything new is even proposed.She’s frustrated. Irritated. And feels more than a little defeated. As a result, just six months into the role, she’s dubbed most of her peers and many of her direct reports ‘the no people’ and lately has been fantasizing about greener pastures, which for her is about moving back into the more pliable start-up environments where she cut her teeth.As we discussed it, I could empathize because I’ve spent most of my career in brand driving change as well. So, I know it’s not always easy. But I was lucky because in my first corporate role, I had a very wise boss that was amazing at driving change inside the global corporation where I worked. And he shared with me the model I’m going to talk about today. I call it The Change Curve.And by the way, this is helpful to know whether you’re the one driving change or whether the change is happening to you. Either way, it’s incredibly valuable. Wherever you’re at right now, whatever role you have, I can promise you that you’ll find this episode super useful. So, let’s dive in.For more, give the episode a listen.

Today we’re going to talk about how to drive change at work. Now this isn’t about the actual development of the idea of the change you want to drive because that’s something you already know how to do. You already know how to come up with ideas. Today we’re going to talk about what happens when you share your idea with others. You can also think of this as being about how to influence others. And the model I’m going to share today will help you understand the human behavior behind adopting something new. Because while some people are very adaptable to change and some are highly resistant to change, the truth is, everyone goes through four phases of the model I’m about to share. Some just do that more quickly than others.  As a person who’s introducing a new idea into your organization – no matter how big or small the impact might be – it’s helpful to know. Whether you want to introduce a new strategy, recommend changing outside partners, streamlining internal processes, shifting an organizational model or team structure or pretty much anything else you think of that’s about moving someone else’s cheese, this approach will help you.This was a hot topic recently for one of my private coaching clients. She’s in a CMO role inside a Fortune 500 organization. She’s still kind of new, having taken the role six months ago. And given the C in her title and the fact that she’s new, pretty much everything she does it about change. All day, every day. In the short time she’s been there, she’s repositioned the brand, introduced a new advertising company and now she’s starting to look at some bigger disruptors like changing a long-time agency relationship, streamlining her organizational model, and shifting some of how the work gets done inside her team. And those changes in and of themselves are easy for her. Innovating and finding new and better ways to do things is her superpower. But for her, doing this inside a big, established, set-in-it’s-ways Fortune 500 is very different from doing so inside a startup. And that’s where she’s spent most of her career. Startups by nature are still being formed so they’re naturally more nimble and agile. So, as she’s recently taken on this role inside a large decades old – and maybe slightly stuck corporation she’s found that driving change – honestly, even sharing new ideas – inside that type of environment is a very different thing.Instead of finding numerous allies who see her vision and readily expand on it, she finds herself endlessly explaining the ideas again and again. And in general, just being met with this ‘wall of resistance’ (that’s what she calls it) whenever anything new is even proposed.She’s frustrated. Irritated. And feels more than a little defeated. As a result, just six months into the role, she’s dubbed most of her peers and many of her direct reports ‘the no people’ and lately has been fantasizing about greener pastures, which for her is about moving back into the more pliable start-up environments where she cut her teeth.As we discussed it, I could empathize because I’ve spent most of my career in brand driving change as well. So, I know it’s not always easy. But I was lucky because in my first corporate role, I had a very wise boss that was amazing at driving change inside the global corporation where I worked. And he shared with me the model I’m going to talk about today. I call it The Change Curve.And by the way, this is helpful to know whether you’re the one driving change or whether the change is happening to you. Either way, it’s incredibly valuable. Wherever you’re at right now, whatever role you have, I can promise you that you’ll find this episode super useful. So, let’s dive in. For more, give the episode a listen.

How to Drive Change and Influence People

The Purposeful Career Podcast

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